Problems with the Huawei Mate 9 and how to fix them

Huawei’s Mate series is known for its beautiful designs and construction, fantastic displays, and large batteries, all of which makes for a popular range of smartphones. The latest addition to the series, the Huawei Mate 9, continues to bring all of these signature elements to the table, and more, including an upgraded version of the LEICA dual-camera setup from the P9, and a major overhaul of the software experience. If you are in the market for a large display smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 is definitely one to consider.

However, as is the case with any current generation smartphone or tablet, the latest high-end offering from Huawei is not without its issues. Which is why, we’ve rounded up some of the common problems that Huawei Mate 9 owners have faced, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them!

Disclaimer: Not every Huawei Mate 9 will face these issues, and in fact, it is more than likely that you won’t come across of these problems at all.

Problem #1 – Issues with using Nova and other third-party launchers

Quite a few users who use third party launchers, and particularly Nova, have found that the device automatically, often after closing an app, reverts to the default stock launcher of EMUI. Users then have to go into the settings and once again set the third party launcher as the default one.

Potential solutions:

This seems to have to do with the aggressive RAM management and default battery saving features the tends to kill any apps that are running in the background, including the third party launcher. This is what also causes the notification bug (see below). Until a permanent fix is made available via a software update, there are a few workarounds that can be tried.

You can try locking it into the Recent Apps list. Some third party launchers, like Nova, won’t show the launcher settings if you are currently using it, so first, set the default launcher to the stock Huawei one. Then open Nova launcher and go to the launcher settings. Press the Recent Apps key and you should see the settings page. Press the small lock icon and lock it in place.

Nova launcher also has a setting called “Aggressive Desktop.” Enabling this seems to have fixed the issue for some users.

Problem #2 – Performance issues

Some users have reported that the device tends to randomly freeze, and there are quite a few instances of stutter and lag as well.

Potential solutions:

Download the Greenify app from the Google Play Store. Here, you can see a list of applications that are active on waking the phone, and you can then change the settings for these apps, which should help with reduce any slowdowns.

A rogue app could be the cause for any stutter or lag. Boot the device into Safe Mode (you can find the instructions on how to do so below) and see if the problem persists. If not, an application is the issue. You can then either delete the last few apps you have may have installed before the problem started, or perform a factory reset and start over, even though that is recommended only as a worst-case scenario, since you will lose all your data.

Problem #3 – Battery drain issues

Some users have reported coming across serious battery drain issues, with the device, in some cases, running out of battery in just 6-8 hours, with relatively light usage.

Potential solutions:

Keep a track of the battery stats to see if an app is causing the surprising battery drain, and more often than not, that is going to be the case. Then, the only option is uninstall the app or to wait for an update. A good alternative will also likely be available on the Google Play Store which you can use instead. In the case of the Huawei Mate 9, users have found that the battery drain seems to be caused by the Exchange email app, and in some cases, by Google Calendar sync issues.

Problem #4 – Connectivity issues

As is the case with any new device, you may find yourself facing some connectivity issues with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Apart from that, users have also come across problems with connecting to Protected Wi-Fi.

Potential solutions:

Cannot connect to Protected Wi-Fi

While the Mate 9 can connect to regular Wi-Fi routers, it seems to have difficulty connecting to those with 802.11 EAP enabled routers. The “Connect” or “Save” button remains greyed out depsite adding the correct user name and passord. The fix for this problem is very simple. All you have to do is change the CA Certificate setting from “Unspecified” to “Do not validate.”

General Wi-Fi issues

Turn the device and the router off for at least ten seconds, then turn them back and retry the connection.

Go to Settings – Power saving and ensure that this option is turned off.

Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer to check how crowded your channel is, and switch to a better option.

Forget the Wi-Fi connection by going to Settings – Wi-Fi and long tapping the connection you want, then selecting “Forget”. Re-enter the details and try again.

Make sure the router firmware is up to date.

Make sure the applications and software on the device are up to date.

Go into Wi-Fi – Settings – Advanced and make a note of your device MAC address, then make sure that it is allowed access in the router’s MAC filter.

General Bluetooth issues

With issues when connecting to the car, check the manufacturer’s manual for the device and the car and reset your connections.

Ensure that you are not missing a vital part of the connection process.

Go to Settings – Bluetooth and ensure nothing needs changing

Go into Settings – Bluetooth delete all prior pairings and try setting them up again from scratch.

When it comes to issues with multiple device connection, only a future update will be able to address this problem.

Problem #5 – Issues where the only option is to wait for a software update

There are some issues that users have come across that unfortunately don’t have any easy fixes or workarounds. In these cases, the only option is to wait for an official software update. Some of these issues are listed below.

No audio controls on lockscreen: Some users have found that there are no audio controls on the lockscreen when listening to music, which means that the phone has to be unlocked each time. This seems particularly prevalent with the Spotify app, but some users have faced this issue with other music players and streamers as well.

Touch sensitivity: Some users have found that the touch sensitivity isn’t as good as expected, particularly along the left and right sides of the display. An update to fix this problem is rolling out now, and you should receive it shortly.

Notification bug: The aggressive RAM management and battery optimizations that cause the issue with third party launchers (mentioned above) also results in notifications not coming through. An update to fix this problem is rolling out now, and you should receive it shortly.

Guides: Hard reset, Safe Mode, wipe cache partition

Hard Reset

Method #1 – Turn off the device. Then, press and hold the power button and volume down key simultaneously. Release the buttons as soon as the Huawei logo appears. Use the volume buttons to navigate the menu, go to “wipe data/factory reset” and confirm with the power key.

Method #2 – When the device is on, go to the Settings menu. Scroll down to Advanced Settings, then select Backup & Reset. Tap of Factory Data Reset and accept it.

Method #3 – When the phone is on, open the phone dialer. Dial *#*#2846579#*#* and from the menu, select “Reset Factory.”

Boot into Safe Mode

Turn off the device, and then press and hold the power button to restart it.

As soon as the Huawei logo appears, release the power button and immediately press and hold the volume down key.

Keep holding the volume down button until the device finishes rebooting, and release it when you see “Safe Mode” in the lower left corner of the screen.

Restart the device to exit Safe Mode.

Wipe cache partition

Turn off the device. Then, press and hold the power button and volume down key simultaneously. Release the buttons as soon as the Huawei logo appears. Use the volume buttons to navigate the menu, go to “wipe cache partition” and confirm with the power key.

So, there you have it for this roundup of some common problems faced by Huawei Mate 9 owners, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them! However, don’t let these small list of issues deter you from picking up what is otherwise still a fantastic flagship, with a great camera, gorgeous display, great battery life, and more.